The father-son bond in The Rifleman remains one of the greatest in TV history, even 60 years later.
For those who grew up in the late 1950s, this Western classic was a must-watch in many homes, teaching timeless values like respect and honesty.
But beyond its powerful moments, The Rifleman also had its share of little-known mistakes, bloopers, and fun facts that only die-hard fans might notice.
Stay tuned as we uncover the hidden gems behind this iconic Western…
Early Westerns, such as The Rifleman, had a lot of historical mistakes, but that doesn’t really matter! They are super fun to watch and have more interesting characters than most shows on TV now. Each episode had a valuable lesson, usually about important human values, and often ended with a touching moral.
The Rifleman featured the iconic Chuck Connors in the role of Lucas McCain, a single dad and expert marksman who was raising his son, Mark, portrayed by the talented Johnny Crawford. Their strong relationship and exciting escapades in the Old West really drew in viewers.
While the show is often considered one of the greatest ever made, even top shows can have their mistakes. So, let’s dive into some behind-the-scenes secrets that many of us didn’t know about!
Lucas McCain a trendsetter
It’s no surprise that cowboy Lucas McCain preferred jeans, but it turns out he was ahead of fashion trends by about half a century! Sharp-eyed viewers might have caught a scene in “End of a Young Gun,” one of the early episodes featuring Michael Landon, where a shirtless Lucas repairs a wagon wheel.
You can spot a “W” sewn onto the back pocket of his jeans, and believe it or not, he’s really wearing Wranglers. The twist? The story takes place in the 1880s, but those jeans didn’t come out until the 1940s. So, Lucas McCain isn’t just a stylish cowboy; he’s a real trendsetter and totally ahead of his era!
Connors’ real son
As I mentioned, one thing I really loved about the show was the father-son relationship. But did you know that Chuck Connors’ real-life son makes an appearance in the series? In the episode “Tension,” Mark and Lucas attends the funeral of Sid Halpern, a friend of the McCains.
The widow and son, Toby, are there dressed in black. It was Jeff Connors, Chuck Connors’ second son with Faith Quabius, who played that young Toby and he had two lines. Sadly, Jeff passed away in 2014.
Getting Chuck wasn’t easy
Casting the lead role in The Rifleman was no easy feat.
Chuck Connors had to compete against 40 other actors, but getting the part wasn’t a sure thing. At first, he said no because ABC offered him a low salary, and he could make more money working as a freelance actor.
But then, Connors got the role in a surprising way. It all began when the producers took their kids to watch Old Yeller, where Connors played a strong dad. After seeing the movie and hearing what the kids thought, the producers returned with a much better deal, which included a five-percent share of the show. And just like that, everything was arranged!
The 1892 Winchester rifle
In each episode of The Rifleman, Chuck Connors amazed everyone with his incredible talent. He would fire a ton of shots from his saddle-ring carbine, making it look super easy. With a cool style, he would twirl the rifle, switch it from his right hand to his left, and load a new bullet, all while staring intensely at the camera.
To pull off these iconic scenes, the production utilized two identical 1892 Winchester rifles — one for filming and the other as a backup.
Some might have assumed that the opening scene featuring the 1892 Winchester rifles was trick photography or somehow manipulated. However, the truth is that Connors was genuinely that fast and agile with his carbine. As a former athlete who played professional basketball and baseball in both major and minor leagues before transitioning to acting, he had impressive skills and coordination that made those quick movements look effortless. What we do know though, is that the weapon had been customized to enable rapid firing by cycling its lever action.
The Duke connection
Lucas McCain’s trusty Winchester rifle was more than just a prop; it was a true scene-stealer with an interesting backstory.
The Rifleman took place in the 1870s and 1880s, so it’s impossible for the 1892 Winchester rifle to have existed during that time.
However, this iconic rifle had a previous life on the big screen, making its debut in none other than John Wayne‘s classic 1939 film, Stagecoach. Producer Arnold Levin later revealed the exciting twist: the rifle used by Lucas McCain was the very same one wielded by the Duke in his legendary movie.
The Madera Hotel
The Madera Hotel was a well-known landmark in North Fork throughout the series, frequently appearing in various episodes.
However, in the pilot episode, The Sharpshooter, the establishment underwent a name change to California House. Speculation arose regarding a possible ownership change between episodes, but no one really knows why the establishment suddenly switched names.
Johnny Crawford got blacklisted
At the age of 3, Johnny Crawford made his debut in front of the cameras during an audition. But it wasn’t a success – in fact, he got blacklisted after his performance as a 3-year-old actor.
”I don’t remember the picture and I wound up on the cutting room floor anyway. But I played one of a bunch of refugee children and I was in a scene where Rosalind Russel was supposed to give us all chocolate bars. I think I got blacklisted after this film because the scene had to be reshot and I refused to give back my chocolate bar for the second take,” Johnny Crawford told The Miami Herald in 1973.
”Hazardous” task of casting a new female lead
Lucas McCain, a widower, mainly concentrated on taking care of his son, but the show also included some romantic storylines. In the third season, it looked like Lucas and Milly Scott, played by Joan Taylor, were about to start a romance.
Unfortunately, this plot didn’t go anywhere when Milly departed from the show in season four, with a vague reason that she had to return to the east.
This left the producers needing a new female lead, which led to the introduction of Lou Mallory. They faced the challenge of finding an actress who not only suited the character but also had great chemistry with Chuck Connors.
13 RIFLEMAN episodes MARCH 14 on AMC (231) from 6am until 12:30pm (Eastern Time)6:00 AM The Shattered Idol (S4,…Posted by Johnny Crawford on Thursday, March 12, 2015
Chuck wanted to make sure he found the right person for the role, so he got really involved in the casting process. But it ended up being harder than he thought. He talked to more than twelve women who looked like they would be great for the part, but none of them felt like the right fit.
”A few months ago, I was handed what I thought was a dream assignment. At least it started out on a dreamlike note but almost snowballed into becoming a nightmare,” the actor shared.
After looking at more than 60 women, the final decision was made to choose the gorgeous red-haired Patricia Blair, who came from Texas.
Recognize this baseball hall-of-famer?
Lucas McCain was a really talented baseball player, but he just couldn’t compare to the amazing skills of Duke Snider, a former Dodgers star who even showed up on the show. It’s interesting to note that Chuck Connors only hit two home runs in his entire Major League Baseball career.
The celebrated baseball player, nicknamed “the Duke of Flatbush,” portrayed the character Wallace in the episode titled The Retired Gun. Another former baseball star who made an appearance on the show was Don Drysdale.
Johnny Crawford’s brother popped up
The Rifleman focused a lot on family issues and was the first show on network television to show a single parent taking care of a child.
Besides Jeff Connors, another family member of one of the stars appeared on the show: Bobby Crawford, who is Johnny’s brother.
He played a character named Freddy in the episode called Second Witness, and both he and Johnny gave such great performances that they were nominated for Emmys in 1959. Bobby, whose full name is Robert Lawrence Crawford Jr., kept acting and played Andy Sherman on the NBC show Laramie from 1959 to 1960. He is still alive today and is 80 years old.
Over-protective of Johnny Crawford
Chuck Connors took care of young Johnny Crawford, and even after their show ended, they stayed really close friends.
Johnny looked up to Chuck from when he was little, especially because Chuck loved baseball so much. Their friendship during the time they worked on The Rifleman was super important to Johnny, as he learned a lot from Chuck, both in acting and in life.
Johnny shared, “Listening to Chuck tell his baseball stories was a big part of my learning. He would recite things like Casey at the Bat or even lines from Shakespeare. People are always surprised to find out that Chuck Connors knew Shakespeare,” he told The Buffalo News.
You can see their strong bond in the classic photo below, which shows the great friendship and respect they had for each other.
Actor Paul Fix, known for his role as Marshal Micah Torrence on The Rifleman, took his role as a mentor to Crawford very seriously. While they were filming, he acted like an extra dad to Crawford, making sure that all the guns used on set were kept safe. For Paul Fix, his concern for Crawford’s safety was deeply personal.
When he was a kid, Fix had a scary experience where he almost died. He was playing with his brother and a gun accidentally went off, coming dangerously close to hitting him. It was truly a miracle that he made it through that situation.
Buddy Hackett twist
In a surprising turn of events, Buddy Hackett, famous for his funny performances, took on the role of a dad to an actor who was actually younger than him by four years.
In one episode of The Rifleman, Buddy Hackett plays Daniel Malakie, a father who finds out that his two sons, Ben and Jud, have been arrested. What’s interesting is that Christopher Dark, who played the son Ben, was born in 1920, while Hackett was born in 1924. This age difference shows how Hollywood can mix things up when it comes to family roles and age expectations.
Baby girl was played by a baby boy
Does the name Robert Anacher ring a bell? No? That’s understandable! His most notable role came was when he played the adorable baby girl Fancy in the episode The Baby Sitter. But as it turns out, the girl was actually a boy.
Shot dead with a pistol
In the pilot, which was originally intended for Gunsmoke (1955), Chuck Connors’ character was named John McCain. According to IMDB, he didn’t have any children and was a dead shot with a pistol.
Sammy Davis Jr. impressed the crew
Sammy Davis Jr. is often called “Mr. Show Business” and is known as the greatest entertainer to ever perform on stage in the United States. He is a legendary superstar who is greatly missed and has left a lasting mark on American history.
Did you know that he was in The Rifleman? In the episode called Two Ounces of Tin, Sammy Davis Jr. played the character Tip Corey, who was an outlaw. He showed off some amazing gun skills, like fast draws and cool twirling tricks. What’s really cool is that Sammy did all those stunts by himself, without using a stunt double!
The hair styles
Even though The Rifleman takes place in the 1880s, many of the actors had hairstyles that looked more like those from the 1950s and 1960s, which is when the show was actually made.
This mix-up is even more obvious with the clothes they wore, since a lot of the men had button-down shirts that buttoned in the front. This style didn’t even start showing up until the 1920s and didn’t really become popular until the 1930s. It’s really interesting how they combined old-timey elements with a mid-century style, giving a surprising twist to the classic Western!
Chuck Connors’ headstone
Chuck Connors was famous for being a great athlete, but he had a habit of smoking three packs of Camel cigarettes every day. He was one of just twelve athletes ever to play in both Major League Baseball and the NBA.
In the fall of 1992, Connors got really sick and had to go to the hospital because of pneumonia. Sadly, just three weeks later, he passed away from lung cancer. He was buried at San Fernando Mission Cemetery, and his gravestone shows off the logos of the three sports teams he played for: the Boston Celtics, the Chicago Cubs, and the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Kevin Joseph “Chuck” Connors (April 10, 1921 – November 10, 1992)He is one of only 12 athletes in the history of…Posted by Hollywood Page Of Death on Friday, November 10, 2023
As we wrap up our journey through the iconic world of The Rifleman, it’s clear that this classic Western series has left an indelible mark on television history.
The show has an amazing father-son relationship, cool characters, and a great mix of action and important lessons. It still connects with people today, and I love watching the reruns. Rest in peace, Johnny and Chuck.
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